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atpbx · 21 Mar 2006 at 20:11

Cassius Clarke said:
riding a motorbike is a completly unique feeling, even a slow one will make you grin from ear to ear.

Only if you are easily pleased.
A slow motorbike is quite possibly the most unpleasant form of mainstream transport in the UK.
You have to forgo the likes of a radio, heater/Aircon nice comfy seat, in exchange for going very slowly.
Ok if you are just mooching around town, but not on the main road.

Cassius Clarke · 21 Mar 2006 at 20:55

atpbx said:
Only if you are easily pleased.
A slow motorbike is quite possibly the most unpleasant form of mainstream transport in the UK.
You have to forgo the likes of a radio, heater/Aircon nice comfy seat, in exchange for going very slowly.
Ok if you are just mooching around town, but not on the main road.

ok by slow I mean the likes of a ER500 or similiar, also commuting on a bike is not quite the same I agree, I mean just driving of down the back lanes with no where important to go, just having a ride, its nothing like a car, much more enjoyable and Im comparing that to my lightly fettled 911 everyday car . . . .

having owned a few italian bikes riding in the rain is out of the question.. .. .. .. they are just not made for UK weather.

andi · 21 Mar 2006 at 20:57

Not feeling 100% safe is part of the thrill I think. Adds to the adrenalin rush.

Just get the right kit, try your best to stay safe, and enjoy it. Not much more you can do..

Cassius Clarke · 21 Mar 2006 at 20:59

ditto andi

quad · 21 Mar 2006 at 22:30

if you treat every car driver as though they havent seen you wont be surprised when they do what they do.......(does that make sense)??

v0n · 21 Mar 2006 at 23:38

- For the past few years number of deaths among motorcyclists is on approx 15% rise every year
- Motorcycle riders die on UK roads 30 times more often than drivers of other vehicles all together.
- You will never know a motorcycle rider who drives for 5 years + and never had serious accident or directly life threatining experience

But most of you still think it's the other drivers that don't look, still drive with main beam on blinding people and making yourself invisible and still wedge yourself between bus and HGV in traffic because, let's face it, if you're dressed like Power Ranger all you have to say is "transformers" and your bike will push them away. I guess problem is your bike more often than not doesn't hear you. The answer is - you shouldn't feel safe on the roads, there is something horribly wrong with biker training in UK, something that makes over 700 coffins full every year, something that makes idiots on scooters drive on motorways, couriers jump red lights and undertaking mopeds hit cars turning left on junctions. It's something I had a chance to witness even on CBT level - complete muppetry and lack of imagination. Maybe it's because as soon as riders discover bike starts faster than car they just assume fourth gear sends them into hyper space or maybe it's because speed turns us all into adrenaline junkies but dudes - if I find you feeling safe on a bike i will personally come around and scream "boo!" behind your head or slap you with a bit of a trout across your visor cause you all should remember you are nothing but a leather jacket on a glorified lawnmower between fast moving tons of iron and steel.

mattpc · 21 Mar 2006 at 23:40

Dude, safety surely doesn't really come with the biker territory!

Treefrog · 22 Mar 2006 at 00:50

Yup. But that's because I don't assume that he has seen me, or that he is actually going to go the way his indicators are showing, or that he is concentrating on his driving. I'll move across the lane (apparent movement), or slow down, or get into a better position on the road to make sure I've been seen; or just not do something until I'm confident of coming out the other side of it in the same shape that I went in.

And I'm constantly scanning near, middle and far distance, and left right and centre and each mirror so I know exactly what's going on around me.

And no way am I going to ride 2' from the kerb, through gravel and other débris, and have some impatient idiot try to squeeze past and knock me off or box me in behind a parked car.
I ride roughly in the offside tyre tracks of the car in front for a couple of reasons: I'm very obvious in their door mirror; I'm where oncoming (possibly turning right) traffic is going to be looking for a vehicle; and I have a great view down the road.

Dogbreath · 22 Mar 2006 at 07:22

You should never feel 'safe' on a bike IMO, the danger is what keeps you alert. Once you start feeling safe you relax and the chances of becomming a bonnet ornament on the front of a Volvo increase dramaticly.

Dr Who · 22 Mar 2006 at 08:15

v0n said:
But most of you still think it's the other drivers that don't look, still drive with main beam on blinding people and making yourself invisible

Bikes dont ride with main beam on, they ride with dip beam, like the highway code and every other safety organisation says they should... due to the height and the rocking motion of the bike this can mean they can appear brighter than a car behind you, but how you say that blinds people and makes u invisible...

Yes there are a few idiots out there, like there are in any vehicle... but strangely, bikers never pulled out in front of me on my bike... only cars, lorries and vans.... So at that point I have to blame the idiot behind the wheel not the one on the wheels...

Biking is far safer than you would believe if you are aware and take some advance training, and although I have had near misses with various idiots, I have had one accident age 17 when I was knocked off by a car undertaking me through a roundabout..

Thats 23 years since accident free on a bike... DT175, Honda 400-4, ZX6R, Ducati 748 and Fazer 1000...

I don't always feel safe, but thats the planks around me that dont want to let me pass because they cant pass the car in front, people who stagger them selves in stationary trafic queues so I cant filter through, just so they can look an extra 10 feet ahead past the car rather than through its windscreen...

The fact of the matter is, that if other road users cared about bikes they would be safer, and if BAB's realised that an R1 is not the same as their old triumph 750, then they would be safer still... As for the rest that crash, well human error is always a factor..

Oh and dont get me started on car A-Pillars...

:mad:

v0n · 22 Mar 2006 at 10:37

Dr Who said:
Bikes dont ride with main beam on, they ride with dip beam, like the highway code and every other safety organisation says they should... due to the height and the rocking motion of the bike this can mean they can appear brighter than a car behind you, but how you say that blinds people and makes u invisible...:

Trust me they do. I'd say 60% of bikers in London ride with main beam on, day and night. I even asked my boss (who btw recently had another biker drive into his bike on roundabout) why he drivers like muppet with main beam on and his answer was "that's what they tell you on training". They didn't tell me on my training to ride with main beam on, what they did tell me though was that most people can't tell distance and quickly become disorientated when strong light to their face. That's why blinding with halogen light works so well in torture rooms.

Pug · 22 Mar 2006 at 11:24

time spent worrying whilst riding is time lost concentrating on what you're doing. If its REALLY something you're focussing on, then you probably shouldnt be on a bike. Be mindful of the risks tho, definately.

Malachy · 22 Mar 2006 at 13:34

L0rdMike said:
Thing about being on a Bike is the other people on the road.

i hate this, its not the fact that some bikers do ludicris speeds ofc, how many times do you see superbike riders give it full chat in town, i would say in the summer i would see at least 2-3 per day out of 10 bikes thats 30% now ofc thats nothing to do with why people die etc etc? i was in driving through town 2 days ago and a guy on a blade is overtaking me (doing 30 in a 30) and 3-4 other cars at a time doing in excess of 50-60mph now ofc if he crashed into another car while doing this its the other drivers fault...................... half the time its not the other drivers its bikers who think they are invincible and are idiotic enough to risk there life by getting on a bike that you are 31 times more likely to die in an accident on a bike than in a car accident yet people still take that risk and then blame everyone else when something happens.
and ofc there are sensible riders but still i feel that 31 times more likely to die stat is just to much for me and it dont really matter whos fault it is when your out cold on a slab

and i love bikes

All in my opinion ofc

as for main beam had some idiot on a CBR following me yesterday when picking up my girlfriend from work, sat on my bumper with main beam blasting into my mirror,i flashed my rear fog a bit to see if he would realise but nope completly oblivios and not paying any attention. He went to the same car park as me so i got out of my car and asked him if it was really necesary for him to try and burn my retinas out, He replyed 'sorry mate' and tbh 0-60 in whatever some of these superbikes do (3 seconds?) is that really needed for the uk roads?

Treefrog · 22 Mar 2006 at 13:52

Ah, but you're 32x less likely to be involved in a collision with another vehicle on a bike due to its size and manoeuvrability.

Pug · 22 Mar 2006 at 13:58

Malachy said:
tbh 0-60 in whatever some of these superbikes do (3 seconds?) is that really needed for the uk roads?

no, of course not. Bloomin' fun tho

and pretty legal (unless they decide to do you for street play/due care and attention)

As for your other comment about 31 times more likely to die, will duh! You're on (as opposed to IN (and protected by)) a hunk of metal, with NO protection (Helmets pretty useless in some situations), and you only have 2 wheels. Of course you're more likely to die. Try driving on the roof of your car without a seat belt, and on 2 wheels - bet you would see the death rates climb there too...

Doesnt put people off tho, you just have to be mindful of the risks...

Freefaller · 22 Mar 2006 at 15:31

I feel pretty safe. I've learn to anticipate the idiots who pull out without looking, or people who swerve without realising what's around them. I just asume that no one has or can see me, so I make sure I don't take stupid risks. Every single time I've had a close call it has always been the other person's fault. Now I'm not saying I'm mother theresa when it comes to riding/driving, but dammit when I'm on my bike I don't like putting my life in the hands of strangers. (Though I have jumped out of planes when other people have packed much 'chute... talk about hypocricy

).

I do like to give it some beans, I do like filtering past slow moving cars, and stationary vehicles, and I am perfectly entitled to do it. However I don't do it at 100mph. I keep the difference in speed enough to make the manoeuver safe and quick, but not stupidly fast to cause trouble for myself.

At the end of the day we all share the road and we have to take responsibilities for our actions, however bikes are more vulnerable and it would be nice if car drivers did actually accept the repsonsibility of not seeing the person and admitting it's their fault.

Part of the thrill of a bike is that a quick wrist movement can have you hurtling down a road almost instantly at obscene speeds. Also the g forces, and the vulnerability adds to the thrill of it all. I also feel there's a lot more skill and generally it's more exciting - it's generally faster too.

I get a lot of people flashing their lights at me thinking I'm on full beam, but then I turn on full beam and they realise that actually they're being erratic and not concentrating on the road ahead (whilst may I add, being stuck in the middle land instead of moving over

). The front suspension on a bike twitches a lot more than on a car and a bit of extra weight on the back will lift the front light beam a bit - there's no easy way of adjusting this whilst riding. Hey if you're getting blinded at least you know there's a bike behind you and you can leave it to pass without playing silly buggers eh?

Frankly I think too many car drivers use excuses to put their lack of driving skill on show. I'm not saying all bikers are angels, in fact I'm sure most aren't - but why fight over it? Is it REALLY such a big deal? For the sake of someone's safety, let your egos go is what I say.

Anyway, my skills aren't that of Rossi, and often I feel a little bit overwhelmed when I'm going for it on my bike, or just pootling through town. However most of the time, as long as I'm observant and don't go OTT I feel really safe, even in the wet, though I've had the front slip out on me and the rear wobble on me a few times, but that's generally owing to me not being smooth enough, or hitting a road marking or a pothole or manhole cover.

Riding a bike is safe, as long as you ride within your skill, and are observant, defensive, and make no assumptions that people can see you.

Desmo · 22 Mar 2006 at 16:53

I haven't ridden on the road for a few years now but when I did I felt pretty safe. I felt wholely responsible for my own wellbeing and did not trust any other drivers on the road. The only people I trusted were my biking friends who rode together all the time. With them, I could happily sit 2ft off the rear wheel (rightly or wrongly) and not worry as I knew how they rode. If you don't trust anybody else and assume everybody else is an idiot then you wont go far wrong

Draeger · 22 Mar 2006 at 17:08

Feeling "safe" on a bike comes with a culmination of variables.

Good bike kit
Well maintained machine
Good training
Experience

I feel safe because I can tick all the above boxes and then some.

However, as a new rider on the roads today ( I've been on two wheels since 1989 :cool:

), I'd feel a bit nervous.

Anticipation, reading the road and predicting what other road users might do all comes with the last variable up there, experience. There's just no substitute for it IMO.

Desmo · 22 Mar 2006 at 17:13

Draeger said:
I've been on two wheels since 1989

I'm coming up to nine years now :eek:

Didn't realise it had been that long.

Draeger · 22 Mar 2006 at 17:17

Well, here's a blast from the past.

Was clearing out some old papers and documents today and came across this picture of me back in 1990.

Click thumbnail for big pic:-

Look at the nick of me.....!!!

Had just traded in a ZXR750 for that Gixer, hence the "spit peas through it" Team Green paddock jacket. Auld Arai Doohan rep Giga lid and white, yes white for gawds sake, Alpinestar carbon fibre boots ( back when carbon fibre was considered to be a bit of a novelty....lmao!!! ).

I wouldn't dare go on the roads now with just a paddock jacket on, but that was all the chosen attire for GSXR pilots back then. All I'm missing in the pic is a pair of trainers instead of boots.